like to call the Wednesday, December 10th, 2025 meeting of the Gardener City Council finance committee to order. The assistant clerk will please call the role. >> Councelor Davis, >> present. >> Councelor Hegler, present. Councelor Mack, >> yes, present. >> Um, announcement of open meeting
recordings. The uh open uh meeting recording notice is posted on the wall over there. Is anyone here recording other than staff? Uh, there is none. That be noted. Next on the agenda, we have the reading and approval of prior
meeting minutes. We have uh the meeting minutes from July 31st, 2025, September 10th, 2025, and October 15th, 2025. >> I make a motion that we accept the minutes as presented. >> Second motion made by councelor Max, seconded by councelor Hegund to accept
the minutes as presented. Is there any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor say I. >> I. All those opposed? >> Motion carries. On to subsection two, first time on the agenda. Item 11743, an
order transferring $10,867.80 from the auto department salary and wages to auto department expenditure account professional services. Mr. Mayor, >> thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Uh, this came to us uh from the former auditor right before he left as a um estimate uh for how much would be needed
to have our interim contract for an auditing firm in between. Um while this is something that is a legislative overseeing department, uh the general laws require that all transfer requests begin with the executive department. So that's why I had to submit it to the council in that manner. Um I will say that the city auditor uh when he
presented this to uh my office did uh originally give a price proposal for 5 weeks uh which was around $9,053. Uh however, adding an extra week on it just to be sure just in case was anywhere was how we reached this $10,867
and change. Uh so it really depends on how long the hiring process goes. This is based on the price code that we received from CLA, which is the auditing firm that previously did our uh interim auditing work in between auditor Ferrari and auditor Richard. Uh they are also
who the city contracted with to ensure full compliance with the ARPA regulations uh that we had back when the ARPA fund uh was received from the grant from the federal government. Uh so we've worked with them extensively in the past. Uh and I've been happy with their performance on the executive side of things. I know John Richard highly
recommended them. U mainly because um Hannah, one of the auditors who uh we spoke with in the interim, council journal was also on uh that Zoom call that we had with her uh is very familiar as she was specifically the auditor for Gardner in the interim period before
auditor Richard took over too as well uh going over the systems. They know Munis very well, all this other things. But uh they gave us a price quote based off of who in their office would be assisting with what different measure on a tiered menu style system for lack of a better term. Uh, and so that's where these estimates came from. It's likely it
could be lower. Um, but this was just on the more conservative side of guessing type things to make sure that we had what we needed in place. Um, and if there was ever, you know, say the auditor gets hired earlier, this could be transferred simply back into the auditor's salary appropriation by the same method that we're doing this right
now to transfer it out of the salary appropriation. Uh, and if there's more that's needed later on, then it'd have to go through this process again where we come to the finance committee and the council to make the transfer one way or the other in case either of those situations were to occur. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. As the mayor said, I was in the
meeting um with their um the CLA uh company as as well. Um they do seem very um well versed in our systems. the auditor John Richard mentioned that Hannah as the mayor mentioned taught him how to do one of the processes that currently um he was you know currently
had to perform. So um and the their services have been utilized in other aspects um since then as well. Um I many times I think I'd like to do a less of a um transfer but because we're at the end of the year and the way the
finance committee um won't be um you know has to get reconstituted in the new year we wouldn't be able to meet again on this um at least full council to vote on it till the third meeting or excuse the third week of January. Um so this should cover us um to be able to pay any
expenses that we incur pretty close through that time. Um, so I think that's um that would be approved at this time and possibly being able to um if we're able to move money back later on and >> the money isn't expended, we could pursue that at that point.
Anyway, that was my my input from the from the meeting as well. Any questions or comments from the other committee? >> No, I just think it's much needed and I um appreciate the forward thinking of getting this done um as we go through the hiring process.
Do we have a start date for the services? >> We we do not have a start date yet. Um we need to uh finalize that with the with the CLA firm. >> Thank you. Appreciate that's it for me. >> I make a motion that we recommend uh the transfer to the full council. >> Second.
>> Motion made by councelor Max, second by council he to recommend the transfer to the full council. Is there any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor say I. I. >> All those opposed? >> Motion carries. Item 11744, a measure confirming the gift of
$10,64367 from the Department of Public Works to the Gardener Community Action Committee. Mr. Mayor, >> thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. This is a donation that the public works department gave to the Gardener CAC. Um, well intentioned for this time of year
uh for the work that they've been doing. Uh in reviewing the process, the city solicitor and I have spoken with the DPW director due to the inconsistencies and that may have been followed in following the disposal of surplus property procedures uh that the city does have that is included here in your packet as well as well as the disposal letters
from the department uh director of public works. Um so the corrective training has been done to show that this is the process that needs to be done moving forward. Uh normally this vote would come before the gift itself is given. Uh however um uh working with the city solicitor this is the uh correct action to be taken to make sure that the
proper procedure at least gets rectified uh and then the proper procedure is done from start to finish in the correct order moving forward from there. Um the uh director of the CSC was very grateful for these funds that were there uh basically collected through the scrap metal that was uh collected over the course of a 3-year period. Uh this was
done last in 2023 um at a much smaller amount um but uh with the amount of work that has been undertaken around various different projects the amount of metal was just larger this year mainly the amount of brass uh was larger this year and if you go through there is an itemized listing of the metal that was
collected uh in your packet as well and the value that was given by the appraiser uh for the scrap uh that was received as a result of this process. >> Thank you Mr. Mayor. Questions from the committee. >> Um first I want to thank the mayor. I had uh when it was put in our um agenda, I had reached out to ask for more
information in regards to this item because uh there weren't to me enough specifics um you know the opinion of the city solicitor. Um we just received that today. So if there's no objection um we all have a printed copy that we received
when we came in. Um if I would like more time unless there's an objection if you want to call a recess and give us time to review it but I just assume if if possible put it off to our next um meeting for me. >> No objection. >> I have no objection. I think you know I appreciate all the information but we
have it um unless there's a necessity to act um quicker for the mayor. I think just giving us more time with it uh will be fine. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> No objection. We'll have more more time. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. >> Thank you. Uh item 11745,
uh an order transferring $1,622.79 from city council department salary and wages to city council department expenditure account office supplies. Mr. Mayor, >> thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Again, while this is a council overseeing uh item, transfers like appropriations do have to start with the
executive, the council president did reach out to me to let me know uh that he was looking at purchasing an owl and laptop device dedicated specifically for the city council standing committees. This is a result of the uh different audio issues that uh recently arose as a result of uh you know several different
people utilizing the one owl that the city currently has. Uh so having a dedicated owl system uh for the council uh standing committee meetings to make sure that those are all done and by the same person follow the same process uh and those meetings get recorded in the correct manner. Uh so this is really a
safeguard measure that president Tyrros has put forward for that. um utilizing the funds from the un uh unanticipated to be expended council wage line item that was appropriated uh because councelor Hedglin uh would um waves his pay uh as a member of the city council.
Uh so we do have excess funds uh in the appropriation line on them because we are required by law to appropriate enough funding as if everyone was receiving their pay whether they choose to wave it or not. Uh so that's where these funds are coming from and it's uh simply transferring them out uh to be able to make that purchase. And the
quote for the owl and laptop from the IT department is included in your packet as well. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Questions, comments from the committee? >> I just think it's money well spent. I think it's very much needed and I have to say the quote come in came in much less than I anticipated. >> So, I as I said, I think it's something
that we um it's a good time for us and I I appreciate the council president for bringing this to the attention. >> Agreed. I think the owl has been very useful and having another one um and one specifically dedicated to the city council will be um a benefit uh going
forward. But I have nothing further a motion. >> I make a motion that we um recommend the transfer of funds to the full council. >> Second by councelor n second by councelor heglund to recommend the transfer to the full council. Is there any further discussion? Hearing none.
All those in favor say I. I. >> All those oppos. Motion carries to subsection three in the subcommittee item 11482 discusses discussions regarding the city's health insurance uh insurance payments and trust fund. Um
the auditor um John Richard before leaving could give us the final a final update of where we were. I believe it was trust side of 1.4 million according to the um emails I think I got from both the mayor and the auditor. 1.392 was what I had jotted down here. Um, so
that's where that sits currently. I don't know if there's any further comments or concerns. Um, questions regarding that at this time. >> No, I appreciate you councelor Dalowitz giving the entire history over. It was very helpful to see, you know, where it was high and then since August how it
has been reduced. So I I think that I thank um you for the information and for the former auditor for preparing it for us. >> That breakdown was great. I think it was the the running email back and forth with the mayor is what it was and I had a I had asked the auditor. gave me the the update and then the mayor also gave
it to me with that version. So I said I told uh the assistant clerk to use that one so we can see the history. So yeah, I thought that was very helpful as well. So thank you for sending that. Um just on that note, uh Mr. Chairman, we are seeing the claims still come in significantly higher than the level monthly deposit that we normally give.
Um as was said before, we have a flat fee that we annually monthly pay to Blue Cross and then if claims come in higher, they send us a supplemental bill after that. Uh so we are still seeing them tick higher. Um, in speaking with my counterparts around the state, it tends to be the similar trends that we're seeing, particularly in Fitsburg.
They're seeing this right now, too. U mainly from GLP1, um, prescriptions, uh, as well as elective surgery uh, options that are there. We do have the random one or two high claims that are coming from people with specific diagnosis. Um, those we can't share publicly because it
does have names uh, on those diagnosis sheets that we get on a monthly basis. Um but we are still seeing them largely from GLP-1s in various specialty prescriptions. Um that we know Blue Cross is also changing. We know that GLP GLP1s won't be something that's fully
covered in the upcoming year. So we don't know how that'll one affects the employees, but two also affects these payments that we have. Uh so all of those things are things that we're looking through right now. But I will say at least on the budget side of things, things have largely stabilized by switching to the fiscal year on the health insurance rates rather than on
the October 1st date which we had before and making sure that we at least have a more predictable budget. While the claims are coming in higher, we at least know where our rates are and can fully know where our revenue will be throughout the fiscal year rather than hoping in September that when October hits, we'll still be stable.
>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Questions for >> Okay. Um, I plan on keeping this item uh, at least in our in our folder and on on going to be on our agenda moving forward. That's all we had today on our on our calendar. >> Can I just if if it's mine, can I just I
just have a seeing we're in the finance committee and I just noticed this um, today. Um, and I just want to ask the mayor um, I was on the mass find moneym.gov website for something else and there's like eight claims for the city of Gagner on there. Is that something that is
pursued >> recently brought to our attention in the way we are working with now? >> Okay. No, I was I was on it myself for something and I thought I'm just going to >> look and I thought no I think it's and sometimes they're very small amounts but it's worth pursuing. >> Yeah. >> Um I also know of somebody who got a
significant amount from >> from that website. So >> thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Further I entertain a motion to adjourn. So moved. >> Second. >> Made by council he second by councelor Mack to adjurnn. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed. Meeting stands
adjourned. Thank you everyone.